Mercury Mrs Tendo
by Tritan Z
Summary: Soun Tendo passed away long ago. Luckily, Mrs. Tendo survives in this world. The identity of Mrs. Tendo, in this particular world, however, is perhaps a far more important and interesting then anything Mr. Tendo ever was. (AU Crossover)
1. Prologue: It always rains at a funeral

_This story was started as a thread on the Unending BE Addventure. This first part you see here was written by Noy Telinú. Further chapters are written by me. This segment is posted with their permission._

* * *

"Schools will be joined… Schools will be joined… Schools will be joined." Soun Tendo smiled in sheer joy, his eyes unfocused. "Saotomes are here, dear… They are here…"

"At least you will go out happy, love…" Mrs. Tendo sat by his bedside, patting his hair as tears running down her cheeks. "It's the best I can do, I'm afraid…"

Mrs. Tendo wavered on sending the girls to school. In the end, she decided they needed to. It would be too painful for everyone to have them around. Not to mention that they had already missed a week of classes.

"I'm going to miss you, Soun…" Mrs. Tendo cried. "Nothing… Absolutely nothing that I can do… I feel so helpless. And this time… This time not even Usagi can bail me out."

"Kasumi! Nabiki! Akane! I have wonderful news!" Soun called, blissfully unaware of his surroundings.

"It's amazing that you can still talk, dear," Mrs. Tendo whispered, flashing her beloved a small smile.

Soun closed his mouth, a big smile upon his face, as he finally stopped moving.

"What… What good is being a doctor if you cannot save the one you love? Oh, Soun… I'm sorry…" Ami Tendo, Doctor Mizuno trembled and collapsed onto the bed sobbing as her husband passed away, his veins soaked with morphine.

* * *

Ami stood under an umbrella with her three daughters, all dressed in black, as it rained on the funeral of Soun Tendo.

Kasumi tried to appear strong for her sisters, but her face was wet with water that was not from the rain.

Nabiki wore a hat that obscured her face, but it was obvious that she was crying.

Akane was a bit confused about what was going on, and just held onto her mother's hand and watched.

Ami presented a calm, accepting face to the world and to her girls, but inside she was devestated. Not only for the loss of her husband, but because her daughters were now part of a broken family.

'Just like how I grew up…' Ami thought bitterly. 'I never wanted my daughters to go through that same experience…'

All in all, the Tendo family was the calmest of the people there. Except for Mamoru, who was with the one who was emoting the most, Usagi. Of course.

'It's all my fault!' Usagi cried to herself, screaming internally.

Rei stood next to her friend and put and arm around her to try and console her.

Usagi let a pained, shuddering sob escape. After all, in her mind it really WAS her fault. She failed to keep Soun alive, after all. However, nobody blamed her but herself.

All the local government officials were there as well, mourning for two reasons. Soun was their protection, their defender against the weirdness that came into the area, as well as their substitute for a police force. And unlike the police in some other Tokyo neighborhoods, he was liked and respected by the people he protected. It was his full-time job and due to his influence, the Furinkan area remained a calm, peaceful place in which to live.

Tofu Ono was there as well. He had just started at university but was already a part-time intern for Ami, and friends with the Tendo daughters.

Needless to say, it was a packed service.

* * *

It was somber at the Tendo home. Ami was seated in a chair, staring at one of the many photos of Soun that were hanging up throughout the house for this day.

"Sorry…" Usagi sniffled, kneeling besides Ami. "Sorry I failed…"

Ami glanced down at her sobbing friend and messed with her hair. "Dont blame yourself. I failed too…"

"But I… I'm…" Usagi covered her face with her hands. "It's not fair… It's not fair to you. I can bring back you, and all our friends… But not… *sniff*"

Nearby, Tofu Ono stood next to the eldest Tendo daughter and tried to comfort her.

Kasumi looked downward. "Father took care of us when Mother was working. And now she will have to work even more… I don't know what to do."

Tofu looked away. "It will be fine. I'm sure of it. You are a brave girl."

Kasumi blushed. "Oh my…"

Akane stood by the refreshment table and was busy eating the food. She was enjoying herself somewhat if a bit confused about what was going on.

"So, you're Akane, right?" Makoto asked as she stood behind the girl.

Akane turned around and nodded, food in her mouth.

Mokoto smiled. "I hear that you're training to be a martial artist…"

Akane swallowed her food. "Yes! Dad was training me! But not in a while…" Her expression fell.

Mokoto but her lip. "Well, perhaps I could help you for the time being."

"You're a martial artist too?!" Akane exclaimed as her face lit up.

Mokoto nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Wow…" Akane gazed up in amazement.

Nabiki sat off on her own in the corner of the room, watching the guests, her face neutral.

Setsuna arrived for a short period of time to do one job and one job only: Making sure that Nabiki Tendo would not end up using her mind for evil.

As the green-haired woman started walking towards the young girl, something happened to ruin her plans.

"Hi there! Your name's Nabiki, right? I'm Minako, one of your mom's friends," the blonde said with a smile as she stood over the middlest Tendo.

Setsuna's eye twitched at that.


	2. The Postcard

It was a bright and serene day at the Tendo Household. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, a fish jumped out of the koi pond.

However, sadly, the current head of the household was not particularly enjoying it. Ami Tendo (née Mizuno) was staring at the postcard in her hands. The postcard addressed to her late husband Soun. His death had always haunted her. Especially since it was a mere few decades before the mass exposure that all of humanity had had to the energy of the Silver Crystal would render all humankind immortal and ultimately bring about the eternal utopia of Crystal Tokyo.

Kind of a bummer that she wouldn't be able to enjoy it with her husband.

Still, in the intervening years Ami had to cope. She worked as a doctor, helping people and preserving lives as she could. Raising three daughters as a single mother in a demanding job like that had been tough. Luckily her dear friends and fellow Senshi had been there for her. Usagi was like a third mom, her and Mamoru had babysitted so often one of the guest rooms was basically theirs. Rei was always there to give spiritual guidance, especially in matters involving boys that the girls might have been too embarrassed to give. Minako… well… Setsuna said her influence on Nabiki wasn't **too** bad. Which Ami had to be grateful for.

Makoto was a bit more complicated. After Soun's death she had been there for Ami. She was the one most likely to listen to her cry at night when the stress was too much. The one to drive her to work when she needed it. The one to help out when parent-teacher conferences about Nabiki playing some prank or Akane beating up a bunch of boys (because they had been bullies) came up.

Eventually, well, Ami had realized that the two of them had progressed to being a bit "more than friends" and she moved in and were together. She was the second mom to the girls, and honestly was probably with them more than Ami was, as busy with work as she was. Her daughters loved Makoto, and Makoto loved them back as her own children. Kasumi had learned to cook from her. Plus she and Akane were the ones who used the dojo the most of anybody. The two of them had even been working together to study Soun's old martial arts scrolls and records so they could recreate the Tendo School of Anything Goes.

"We're back!" Well then, Ami looked up from the post card. Sure enough, her partner and youngest daughter had just come in. Both were wearing light work out gear, clearly having been out jogging.

"Hey Makoto, Akane." Ami waved to the two, "Back to break more bricks?"

"Akane's vendetta against concrete isn't done yet." Makoto laughed.

"Yeah yeah, whatever Mom." Akane said with a laugh, before noticing the postcard, "What's that Mother?"

"Oh? It's…" Ami considered tucking the card away, before deciding against it. Rationally talking about it with her family would help her decide what to do about it. "It's a postcard, it came in the mail today." She held it up to Makoto. "The strange part is that it's addressed to **Soun."**

"Dad!?" Akane said, snatching the postcard out of her hands. "'Bringing Ranma from China'? Who's Ranma? Who's this Genma guy Mother what is this?"

"That's… weird." Makoto peered over Akane's shoulder. "And the return address?"

"A P.O Box in China." Ami said, "I already checked." AKA she had run the address through the Mercury Computer and confirmed where it had come from. "So whoever Genma is and his Ranma they're bringing it's really from China."

"What if Dad was in debt to like, the Triads or something and this is them coming for him!" Akane said. Minako's wild stories she always told the girls clearly dancing around in her head.

Ami chuckled, "I'm sure that's not the case Akane." And even if it was that would be a painful and humiliating experience. For the Triads. None of the Senshi had been given too much cause to go out over the years since Galaxia's defeat. Only a smattering of random monsters that one or two of them could handle when they popped up. But Ami had no doubt that anybody threatening her family would have the full wrath of all nine of them descend down upon them.

"Do you remember Soun mentioning anything like this?" Makoto asked.

Ami shook her head, "No." Soun didn't like to talk about his past much. He had said he was somewhat ashamed of it. Ami had been told once that there were only two things in his youth he did not regret. Sadly, he had never told her what those two things were.

"Damn. Well, I guess we gotta wait for whoever this Genma guy is to show up."

"I suppose." Ami sighed. "Well, whoever they are, we know that they tried to have contact with Soun in at least a decade." Otherwise they would already know he had passed on. "I suppose that places this from before we met."

Makoto sat down next to her, "Well whatever they are, I'm sure we'll handle it."

"Yeah don't worry Mother. I'm sure the triads will be no match for the reborn Anything Goes school!" Akane declared happily, to the giggles of her parents.

"Lemmie you old fool!"

All three looked off towards the front gate. That had not been a voice that any of them were familiar with.

"Who's there!?" Makoto shouted.

"Geez you moron couldn't you have knocked and- Wooah!" What had happened was not something Ami had expected to see. The source of the voice was revealed to be a teenage girl struggling to escape the grip of a giant panda bear. This surreal scene was punctuated by Akane seeing someone else in trouble leap up and try and kick the bear. The surreal part came when the panda bear somehow with one paw blocked Akane's kick, grabbed her, and _tossed her out into the yard._ This made Ami tense up, and Makoto slip into her own martial arts stance.

"Growf." The panda said, noticing the tension in the air.

"Geez you didn't hurt her did you?" The girl on the panda's shoulder said, sounding annoyed.

To answer the question Akane jumped back in front of her parents. "Stay back you big furry-" her dramatic speech was interrupted by the panda depositing the girl in front of them. The panda then stepped back, walking away.

Well this was the weirdest thing Ami had seen in a long time.

"Err, who are you?" Akane asked the girl.

The girl fiddled with her pigtail a little "Err, I'm Ranma. Ranma Saotome. Sorry."

Well that answered one question.

* * *

All four girls settled around the table. Ranma looking a bit fidgety, while Akane stared at her.

"So you're the Ranma mentioned in this postcard?" Akane asked, holding it up to Ranma.

"...yeah. That's me alright." Ranma said.

"So do you know what's up with this?" Makoto asked, "Because none of us know a damn thing about it."

"Oh… geez really? You guys weren't told either?" Ranma looked at them in surprise.

"So you don't know?" Ami asked.

Ranma's face reddened, and she looked a little uncomfortable. "Err, well, yeah. But, um, how about I let Pops explain it?"

"So the Genma who sent the letter is your father?" Ami asked.

"Yeah, that's right."

"And the panda?" Akane said.

Ranma groaned, "Long story." She gave Akane a smile, "That was a cool kick you did."

Akane pouted, "For all it good against that bear."

"Eh don't worry about it. It's real slippery." Ranma said.

"That bear knows martial arts." Makoto said, "Real impressive that… wait." Makoto's eyes locked with Ami's. "Ami, where did the panda go?"

"...I don't know. Ranma, where do you think the panda went?" Ami said, suddenly realizing that the surreality of the situation had made them forget that there was a _giant panda wandering around her house._

"Probably the bath?" Ranma said.

"The bath… the bath? I'm not cleaning up fur out of the tub!" Makoto stood up, "That bear is not going to... Wait how would a panda bear use the bath? How would it even know what a bath **is?"**

Then, to completely distract them from the issue of the bear, a new voice filled the house. "Soun? Hello? Tendo? The hell are you?" A man in a somewhat scruffy gi charged into the room. "Ranma? Have you seen-" He ducked a punch, this one thrown by Makoto. "The hell?" He blocked the lightning fast kick thrown out, "OK, lady, calm down!"

Makoto actually looked surprised, "You're fast."

The man snorted, "Great observation. Try observing that I wasn't any threat before you and the other girl kicked-" Ranma was instantly at the man's side, elbowing him in the gut hard judging by the wince the man did.

"Man pops, shut up. These ladies have every right to be pissed at you barging into their house for no reason." Ranma said in complete deadpan.

Pops than… "Genma Saotome, I presume?"

Genma's face split into a smile. "Oh yes, of course." He pulled Ranma's shoulder and sat the both of them down across from her. "And you are, Ma'am?"

"Ami Tendo, it's a pleasure to meet you." Ami said with a polite smile.

"Ami?" At hearing the name Genma seemed to look relieved. "Oh yeah! Ami, I recall the last time I met Soun he had said he had been dating a doctor named Ami. A little late, but congratulations on that!" He laughed.

Well that answered some questions, "So, you're a friend of my husband?"

"Friend? We were more than that. We were comrades, partners! Closer than brothers! We fought together, trained together, suffered together…" Genma's face got a look that was familiar to Ami. One someone remember a friend from years gone by. "It was hard, it was painful, but in the end we triumphed against our greatest adversary. And we made a promise between men for the future of Anything Goes."

 **Slam!** Akane's hands hit the table, "Y-you know Anything Goes?"

"Know it? Me and Soun perfected it." Genma said, "Isn't that right Ranma? Spent all these years passing it down to you."

Ranma, for the first time, looked a bit more comfortable. Obviously the familiar topic helped, "Yeah. Trained with the old man here all my life. Got real good, I think."

"Yup. We just finished a training trip to China." Genma said.

Ranma snorted, "That was a disaster."

"You learned a lot didn't you?"

"Oh come on do not start that." Ranma growled, and Ami felt a sudden tension between Father and Daughter. Something had clearly gone wrong in China.

"Mr. Saotome." Ami said, stopping the argument, "So you came here to see my husband?"

"Of course!" Genma said, "Where is he?"

Right. Ami took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, Mr. Saotome. But… Soun, my husband. He passed away almost ten years ago."

In a flash any happiness was gone from Genma's face. "What…?"

"I'm sorry." Ami said.

"But… the dojo?"

"I'm afraid only Akane and Makoto use it now."

"Soun's art… the style…?"

"Akane and me are, well, we're trying to recreate it from Soun's notes and scrolls." Makoto said. "Though, I guess since there's at least two other practitioners we won't need to do that now… err if you want to help us."

Genma slammed his fist against the table, "You mean… he didn't tell you… anything?"

Ami sighed, "I'm afraid, Mr. Saotome, that Soun didn't seem very proud of his past before he met me." She looked up and saw an understanding look cross Genma's face, "I'm guessing there's a good reason for that?"

"Pops…?" Ranma sounded concerned, "You... OK?"

"Yes… err… well. It's true. I'll confess. Me and Soun weren't… well we weren't quite on the up and up in our youth. Lots of things we regretted." Genma shrugged, "The day we had had enough, and set things right… well that's the day we made the promise. A promise between men."

Ami suddenly had a bad feeling about this. "What… kind of promise?"

"A promise to secure the school of Anything Goes and it's Dojo!" Genma declared, "Where our children would unite our families, and produce the greatest martial arts the world had ever known!"

Ranma facepalmed, "Pops…"

"So… wait. You want you ch1ld, to marry one of Soun's children? It's an arranged marriage?" Makoto said.

"Oh no way! No way in hell!" Akane shouted.

Something clicked in Ami's head. Soun's last moments, when he had been in a fever, unlucid. He had said something about the Schools… he had been talking about this arrangement. His last thoughts had been about this promise to his old friend.

A pity than that…

"Well, I'm afraid that's just not going to happen Mr. Saotome." Ami said.

"...what?" Genma said, "How.. how can you say that? Surely your late husband would want that?"

Ami had no doubt Soun would have. But there was no way she would have allowed it if he had been alive. Her daughters were not going to have some arranged marriage forced on them. They would be free to love whoever they wanted. Still, she could see the grief in Genma's eyes, and could tell that he was now probably riding a lot on this promise. Still, she could deduce from the letter Genma had sent her… "Ranma is your only ch1ld?"

"Err, yes?" Genma said.

"Well then it can't happen." Ami said, "Soun and myself only had daughters, and you only had daughters. And women can not get married in Japan yet. And I have no doubt you'd want a direct blood descendant heir. So it just can't be done." Without magic, at least. But Ami didn't feel the need to point that out. It was an excuse he would accept, a simple practical reality that would allow the issue to pass with no hard feelings.

Genma, however, looked thoughtful, "So… if I had a son you'd be OK with it?"

Was he really trying to find a loophole? "Well, Mr. Saotome." Ami said. She was looking straight at him. So she didn't notice Ranma shaking her head wildly and mouthing "no" over and over. Makoto and Akane did, and wondered just what was up with that. "If you had a son one of my daughters ages I suppose we could see if things would work out. But, sadly, we do not."

"Damn it." Ranma slumped against the table.

"I'll be right back." Genma said, and ran off.

"Err.. Mr. Saotome…?"

Ranma sighed, "Shouldn't have given him an out." She muttered.

"What kind of out can he have for that?" Akane asked, "You don't have any brothers your age, right?"

Genma, meanwhile, had grabbed a mug from the kitchen. "Wow, a Sailor V Mug. That brings me back." He commented on the collector's item, filling it up with tap water. He ran back into the living room, a big smile on his face. "Well now, you'll keep your word right Mrs. Tendo?"

"Well, of course Mr. Saotome. It's an impossible… promise… to… keep…though." Ami's voice trailed off. Genma had upended the mug Minako had given Nabiki as 10th birthday gift over Ranma's head. In an instant Ranma was taller, shoulders broader… chest flatter. In fact, it was now very obvious that Ranma was a boy.

"Mrs. Tendo. Meet my **son** Ranma." Genma said, looking like the most smug man on the planet.

"You really shouldn't have made that promise lady." Ranma grumbled.


	3. Living Arrangements

Ami could not help but feel a little miffed at being outplayed by Genma. Granted, he had used her ignorance of his son's condition to his advantage. But the result was that Ami had still ended up agreeing to go along with this arranged marriage nevertheless. It kind of irked her pride as a genius and a tactician. Not that she would ever show it.

"You can't be serious!" Akane protested, "I'm not going to marry some guy I've never met!"

"I'm not happy about it either, couldn't you have asked if you wanted to try setting me up with a wife?" Ranma added in his distaste. Well that made this easier, if Ranma himself wasn't excited about it.

"Now now, don't worry." Ami said, "I'm not going to force any of my children to get married to someone they don't like."

Genma laughed, "Well don't worry about that, my son's a fine catch!"

Ranma elbowed his father, "Don't advertise me like I'm some kind of special!"

"I'm sure we all think that about our children." Ami said, "But the issue is that I don't think a lasting marriage can be formed by just shoving two people together." Ami thought back to the examples of lasting relationships in her life, Mamoru and Usagi, Haruka and Michiru. Both of them had a long period of struggle to get together and understand each other. Even her and Makoto understood each other, and she and Soun had been wonderful partners… well before he died.

(Of course, the fact that half of the major relationships she was close friends with involved people getting together at least **partly** because they were lovers in their past life threw a wrench in things, but hey, nobody said that was necessary.)

"Yeah basically this just means we'll let Ranma go on some dates with the girls." Makoto said, "And once they're adults we'll set up an omiai and let them decide."

Genma glanced sideways at Makoto. "Err, who are you?" The way she spoke about the Tendo Daughters dating implied she had some say in it.

Oh right. Ami, not being the most sociable person, had not had any long term interaction with someone who didn't already know about her relationship with Makoto. This would require some explanation. Ami cleared her throat, "Mr. Saotome, this is Makoto Kino." She gestured to her, "She is my… partner."

"Partner?" Ranma asked, "What do you mean? She run the dojo or something."

There was this brief, awkward silence. Genma slowly turned back to his child. "Son, how old are you?"

"Sixteen." Ranma answered, "I thought you'd know my age Pops."

"Right maybe all boys schools weren't the best idea." Genma muttered.

"She's my mom!" Akane jumped into the conversation again., "You got a problem with that?"

"Wait how can you have two moms?" Ranma asked.

Genma groaned, "Oh good lord. Son. They're lovers." Yes. The all boys school had been a **terrible** idea. "Mrs. Tendo is apparently bisexual." He explained, and thankfully Ranma seemed to grasp that. "After Tendo's death, well, did the closest thing to remarriage she could with Ms. Kino."

"Makoto's been my friend since High School. We began this relationship a few years ago." Ami said, and she felt guilty for feeling this way, but some part of her had been hoping that Genma wouldn't take her relationship with Makoto well. That he'd reject them in a fit of homophobia. As irritating as that normally was to deal with it would free her from her late husband's obligations. But instead he seemed more embarrassed about his son's ignorance on the topic.

Then again Soun had also been fairly open minded despite his old fashioned tendencies, so it made sense his friend and training partner would have similar attitudes.

"Anyways, nice to meet you Ms. Kino." Genma said, "And yes, I guess that's the way things can go. I would have liked a more solid arrangement, but I'm sure that in a few years with him around your girls will be falling over to marry Ranma!" He laughed.

"...err wait." Makoto said, "Few years with him? What? You planning on moving in?"

Wait, what? Ami looked over at Makoto.

Genma froze, "Well, um, Tendo did promise me we'd be able to stay here to help push along the engagement…"

"You want a boy living here!?" Akane shouted.

Ami groaned, "So you thought Soun would just have a room for you ready?" They did have two guest rooms, but with the amount of times her fellow Senshi stayed the night they were both needed fairly often.

"I would have gladly done the same to him!" Genma said.

Ranma snorted, "So that's why you let the lease on our apartment run out when you went to China, you were ready to freeload at this nice place."

So Genma had just assumed he'd be able to stay here? To the point where they didn't even have a place to stay?

Ami cleared her throat, "Well, Mr. Saotome, I'm afraid that-"

The sound of the door opening. "I'm home! And I brought company!" Nabiki's voice came out. More company? Well hopefully just a random school friend. Hopefully not that Kuno boy again they still hadn't finished patching the hole in the wall Akane had punted him through when he tried to hit on her. Someone calmer, nicer, that wouldn't make this issue more compli-

"Hi Auntie Ami! Long time no see!" A teenage girl with her long pink hair styled up in two long twintails topped with odango style buns waved to her. She wore a Furinkan school uniform with a tiny pendant shaped like a cat head on a necklace around her neck. A large suitcase held at her side.

"It's Chibi-Usa!" Nabiki said grinning. "She's transferring over to Furinkan Akane, and Auntie Usagi said she was staying here."

Ami and Makoto's eyes twitched.

"Nabiki! I told you to just call me Usagi! I'm not twelve any more!" Chibi-Usa whined. Talking to her like an old friend even though _Nabiki had never met Chibi-Usa before in her life._

In a flash Chibi-Usa was sitting next to Akane, "Hey there."

"Uhhh…" Akane stared blankly at her, "Mothe-" The cat pendant's eyes gleamed, "Oh this sounds wonderful!" Akane hugged Chibi-Usa, "It'll be great to go to school with you. Maybe you can help me fight off those boys better."

"Excuse us for a moment Mr. Saotome." Ami stood up, and Makoto grabbed Chibi-Usa's arm. "We'll be showing our new guest her room."

* * *

 **"DID YOU JUST HYPNOTIZE MY CHILDREN!?"** Ami had made sure to cast a soundproofing spell over her room.

"Err, kind of had to?" Chibi-Usa laughed sheepishly. "You guys haven't told them about the whole Sailor Senshi thing. Sooo I gotta be Mom's niece now."

"Niece? Makoto said, "Not sister?"

"Would I pass as her sister now?" She rolled her eyes, "No, so I'm her niece. And no, I didn't hypnotise Uncle Shingo. Mom told him about being Sailor Moon a decade ago. Hint Hint. He'll play along with my cover if asked."

Ami groaned, "So why do you expect-" a letter was pressed in Ami's face. "Oh I see." She opened the envelope. To see, of course, Usagi's usual bad handwriting.

 _Hiiiiiiiiiiii Ami Hi Makoto!_

 _I know this is sudden but as part of Usagi's Sailor Moon training we decided she should learn some martial arts, and what better style than Indiscriminate Grappling? And who better to learn from than the sources! The masters are a tiny bit busy up here in Crystal Tokyo, but back in the 2000s they're totally free! If kind of learning themselves. Soooo please, pretty please let Usagi stay with you and learn with Akane and Ranma!_

 _I'll pay you back, ask Usagi and she'll give you a cash card to pay for like, all your bills for the next five years._

 _Love, Neo Queen Serenity.  
P.S Mamoru says hi! So do your future selves!_

 _P.P.S. KEEP MY DAUGHTER AWAY FROM HAPPOSAI.  
_

Ami lowered the letter and passed it to Makoto. Makoto read it and groaned, "Well, I think that answers the question of if Ranma and Mr. Saotome are staying."

"Yes I suppose so." Ami sighed, if for whatever reason Neo Queen Serenity wanted Chibi-Usa to learn Anything Goes, well, they needed to keep Genma close and in their good graces for her to learn the style. "So that's all you're coming for? Some martial arts training?"

"Yes." Chibi-Usa said.

"So there isn't some horrible threat that we're going to have to kill ourselves fighting, again?" Ami asked. It had been so long since there had been anything truly dangerous. With the way threats tended to escalate something worse than Galaxia was the lastt thing Ami wanted.

"Not that I know of." Chibi-Usa shrugged. "Of course, Setsuna often says that when time travel gets involved and the butterfly effect…"

"Please don't start with cause and effect, I've forgotten more about it than you'll ever know." Ami said.

Chibi-Usa rolled her eyes. Great, teenage snarkiness. Ami had never understood that even as a teen. "Whatever. Anyways, before I give you the cash card, I got a condition of my own."

"Oh? What is that?" Makoto said.

"Well… I'm going to want to spend time with…" She let out a happy sigh, "Helios, and I'm not going to want Mom looking over my shoulder like she does _all the time_ in Neo Crystal Tokyo sooo... "

"Sure." Makoto said.

"All right!" Chibi-Usa slapped the card into Makoto's hands, "I knew you'd be reasonable and-"

"Ami could you set up some dream catchers? Maybe a few spells to let us be able to see her dreams?" Makoto asked, "Oh and of course we gotta talk to him if he manifests in the real world."

Ami saw Chibi-Usa's hopes die in real time. It was a sight she had gotten used to as a parent dealing with teenagers. "What!? But you said-"

"Makoto said that we won't have Usagi watch over you, instead **we** will." Ami said. "You're may still be a child Usagi. But we're adults, and we know how children are.."

"You were honestly always an adult Ami." Makoto said.

Ami smiled, "Thank you."

* * *

Meanwhile, Ranma found himself in the worst possible situation. Namely being stuck between two girls and his old man.

"Oh hell no." Nabiki said, "I'm not marrying some shmuck just because Daddy thought it'd be fun." She looked him over in a fashion similar to a butcher looking over a cow, "I mean he's not bad looking but marriage material? How much are you looking to bring down a year?"

"Err… I dunno?" Ranma said, "Err Pops how much do martial artists earn once they're adults."

"Material possessions are meaningless for the advancement of the Art." Genma intoned.

"So, not much." Nabiki said dryly. "I pass! Congratulations little sis, you make a cute couple."

"W-what!? Look I'm not interested in a boy!"

"Well he turns into a girl, if that helps." Genma said.

Ranma glared at Genma, "The hell old man?"

"Well I'm just saying, got to keep an open mind about this." Genma said.

"That doesn't help!" Akane shouted, blushing a little.

"Oh, someone protests too much. You always did have a problem with - he turns into a girl? I gotta see this." Nabiki said, "How does that happen?"

Genma picked up a glass of water and upended it over Ranma. "Behold! The tragic curse of Jusenkyo!"

Ranma kicked Genma in the face, he sailed through the air, and landed straight into the koi pond. "Behold! The curse of my idiotic old man!" Ranma said.

Nabiki looked over the cute girl that had taken Ranma's place. "Congratulations sis, you make a **really** cute couple!"

Akane's face reddened, "I'm not… damn it!"

That's when the damp panda ran back from the yard and tried to drop kick Ranma. Because the situation clearly wasn't nearly absurd enough already.

"Wait a panda?" Nabiki asked. "Where did the endangered animal come from, and why is it uncharacteristically active and violent?"

"Don't ask me." Akane said.

It was at this point that the mature adults and Chibi-Usa came back into the room. Seeing girl and panda brawl in their backyard.

"I knew coming here was a good idea." Chibi-Usa said, stars in her eyes.

* * *

"So both of you share a similar curse, where cold water changes you and hot water changes you back to your natural forms?" Ami asked, once the fight had ended.

"Indeed." Genma said, "A martial artist's life is fraught with peril."

"Why the hell did you think going to a place like that was a good idea?" Makoto asked.

"Well I picked up a pamphlet detailing training grounds in China…" Genma threw it down onto the table.

Ami picked up the pamphlet, and then pulled out a pair of reading glasses. Now, she didn't actually need any form of corrective lenses. The glasses were, in fact, a more subtle way to access the Mercury Computer's Visor systems. So before glancing over the pamphlet she looked over Ranma and Genma.

Sure enough, a spell had been woven over them. The Mercury Compute analysed and summarized the magic. The first thing notable about it was its age. The spell dated from Silver Millennium times! Next, Ami saw that it was in fact, not a curse at all. There was not a single malignant effect in the magic. It was, like implied from being on a "training ground" for **training.** Spiritual and physical training, to expand one's horizons and understanding of the world. It contained a karmic element with the form selected being the one that would best improve the trainee as person. And, perhaps most impressively, was how it weaved itself into the target's soul. As far as Ami knew Usagi would be the only person capable of removing this magic without killing them. Even then, why risk it?

Also Ranma had a spell on him that would make men's hair grow wildly. But it was currently in standby. Why did he have that? Asking would lead to questions on how she knew that, so since it didn't seem to be a problem it could be ignored.

Once the scan of the spell was 100% complete, and Ami sent a command to save the reading for more close examination later, she browsed the pamphlet. She noticed a feature of it quickly."Um, Mr. Saotome. This describes in tremendous, nigh excruciating detail the dangers of the springs and their effects."

"It does?" Genma asked.

Ami suddenly felt a headache coming on. She didn't want to ask it. She knew it had to be, but to do so…

"Err, can you read Chinese?" Makoto asked, saving her the pain like she did so often.

"You've got it!" Genma said, sounding almost proud. "That was the insidious trap they lay!"

This seemed to be the breaking point for Ranma, as he threw punch at Genma. "You dumbass!"

Makoto groaned, "Stop fighting! What's done is done you two!"

"Right I don't think I'd want such violent people engaged to my daughter's." Ami said, and in a flash Genma was obediently sitting at the table, which actually caused Ranma to overextend on a kick and land flat on his face. She didn't like holding his dreams for the future over his head, but the Dojo needed enough repairs from Makoto and Akane alone. She didn't need a second pair of rambunctious martial artists.

"Wow you guys are so cool!" Chibi-Usa popped up, "Can I learn from you guys?"

Genma seemingly noticed the third guest for the first time. He let out a dismissive snort. "Girl, this is a family art. I'll help teach Akane and Tendos' other daughters out of respect to his memory, but I'm not going to waste my time with a newbie."

Ranma pulled himself up, "Yeah Anything Goes isn't something learned casually."

"Oh come on! I'm really strong already, I just never got training!" Chibi-Usa pouted.

Genma took a good look at the small, slender teenage girl. He laughed. "What? You lift weights or something?"

"Come on, just let me show you. Try and hit me." Chibi-Usa said.

"I'm not going to hit an untrained girl." Genma said.

"Yeah that's like, Martial Artists don't pick on the weak." Ranma said.

Even Akane frowned, "Yeah, I mean… Look, maybe you could watch us and I could show you some katas but…"

"I can take it! Just, you know, push me! I promise I won't get mad? Surely a Master like you can shove a girl without hurting her?"

Genma scowled.

"Look, if she wants to learn show her how far she's gotta go." Makoto said, "Just give her a shove."

"Right if Usagi wants it we won't get upset." Ami said.

Genma sighed, "Fine. If you can take it I'll teach you." Genma stood up and, quite lazily, threw out a palm thrust.

And Chibi-Usa caught it.

"Wait wha-" Genma was flung through the air with a flick of the wrist, landing with a splash back into the pond.

Ranma and Akane's jaw's dropped.

Ami, who still had her glasses on, picked up on the… trick. She had cheated!

Chibi-Usa was, in fact, _transformed into Sailor Moon,_ She had then used the Luna Disguise pen to make it look like she was wearing a Furinkan uniform. Ami slid over to her, "That is a flagrant abuse of your power young lady." She whispered.

"Dad wants me to learn how to stop accidentally breaking things." She said, sounding perfectly innocent, completely ignoring Ami's scolding. .

"Which you learn by learning 'responsibility'." Ami sternly said. "Perhaps you have heard of the word?"

Thankfully she seemed to get the hint. Chibi-Usa laughed, a bit nervously. "Of course!" She bowed to the panda in the pond. "I look forward to our lessons Sensei!"


End file.
